Board to focus on helping veterinary service transition

By Robert Williams

Editor

Community Development Coordinator Joe Tonihka discussed Minnesota Housing’s Community Homeownership Impact Fund with the Economic Development Authority (EDA) on Tuesday, March 24.

The program serves buyers needing down payment assistance when purchasing a home and/or first-time home buyers.

“The other thing would be a current home owner that would like to renovate or fix anything,” said Tonihka.

There is an estimated $250,000 available to potential and current homeowners in the city limits.

The Community Homeownership Impact Fund Program (Impact Fund), formerly known as the Community Revitalization Program (CRV), is the umbrella name for a variety of limited funding resources offered in the Single Family RFP, including the Economic Development and Housing Challenge Fund and other Minnesota Housing resources which vary from time to time.

The Impact Fund allows for a variety of housing activities including: acquisition, rehabilitation and resale, new construction (which may include demolition-rebuild), owner-occupied rehabilitation, and stand-alone affordability gap assistance. 

Rehabilitation and affordability gap assistance are generally limited to situations where the articulated community need for such funds cannot be served by other available programs and resources, including Minnesota Housing programs.

The Administrator and Minnesota Housing establish household income limits for each eligible activity undertaken with Impact Fund Dollars through the agreement. All households benefitting from Impact Fund Dollars must not exceed 115 percent of the greater of state or area median income (AMI), as established by Minnesota Housing.

The EDA requested a brochure and an informational sheet about the fund and how it can be applied to qualified applicants prior to presenting it to the public.

Veterinary Service

EDA members also discussed topics that were raised during the annual EDA meeting at the Frazee Event Center on Thursday, March 19, including working with the City of Vergas on more combined activities and potential business opportunities, brought up by Karin Pederson.

Another big topic is the future of the veterinary clinic and how to help bring a professional veterinarian to Frazee and potentially help that individual with purchasing Acorn Lake Veterinary Service.

In a November 2023 feature with the Forum, Dr. Randall Lindemann discussed at length finding an exit strategy from the business, while being very concerned about finding someone to take over the service.

Lindemann has created a successful business with an excellent reputation around the region backed up by area pet owners. It is just a matter of finding the right person to step in and take over.

“I think it is worth something and I don’t just want to close the door and sell the pieces,” said Lindemann. “If you can’t demonstrate to somebody else how they’re going to make a living in 40 hours, rather than 80, your practice isn’t worth anything. It’s arguably worth something to the City of Frazee and to the community. The growth rate of this practice speaks to the need for these services and indicates that it may soon be able to support another veterinarian.”

Karen Pifher of Creating Community Consulting had started an incentive plan for a future vet in Frazee and the EDA wants to get back to that pursuit. Part of that plan involves local businesses helping out in finding a replacement veterinarian in multiple ways.

EDA President Heath Peterson noted how the City of Perham uses industry leaders and businesses to help facilitate what is needed there.

The EDA is not specifically targeting local businesses, given the current climate, but wants to use the outline of the plan to hopefully engage some private investment to aid in the search.

“It would have to be more privately funded,” said Peterson. “It has to be a different model, but maybe something we can figure out as we move forward.”

Tonihka and members of the EDA attended The Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Economic Development Summit 2026. The half-day event was held on Friday, March 27, at the Historic Holmes Theatre. Tonihka was one of the featured presenters speaking at the summit.